Indonesia Diving Holidays

Utter the words Indonesia diving holidays and you’ll probably be greeted by wishful expressions and envious eyes. Indonesia is home to some of the best diving in the world – and doesn’t it know it. Start in Yogyakarta, where you’ll be given a whistlestop tour of Buddhist art and Indonesian cuisine at bustling street food markets or khaki lima, before heading underwater in Pemuteran. Hugging Bali’s northern coastline, it is the ideal destination for intrepid divers. Spot surgeon fish, scorpion fish and even sharks from rich coral slopes or stick to five metre macro sites if you prefer to stay closer to the surface.

Despite their name, Indonesia diving holidays don’t just have to be about diving. Swap sea legs for land legs atop Kawah Ijen, ride on horseback across Bali Barat National Park and speed across Ubud’s countryside in an authentic 1970s Volkswagen convertible. Take Tai Chi classes in east Bali and learn how to cook up a storm in Ubud. Swap diving for snorkelling on Gili Meno, the smallest, quietest and best-preserved of the three Gili Islands. Come up for air to enjoy fresh ayam taliwang (grilled chicken brushed with sambal) on its oyster-white sand and relax in luxury surf-facing eco-resorts.

If, however, you have one thing and one thing only on your mind – diving – then you couldn’t have picked a better place. Home to muck diving mecca Lembeh, wall diving haven Manado and manta ray and mola mola mad Nusa Penida, diving in Indonesia comes with plenty of options. Our favourites though? The ones that are hard to reach. Onboard luxury liveaboards, you’ll have your pick between Raja Ampat and its underwater kingdom and the more elusive Cenderawasih Bay. While it may not match neighbouring Raja Ampat in terms of mind-blowing biodiversity, we can’t help but love an underdog.